March 25, 2012

Box Score

ELON, N.C. ---- A four-run rally in the top of the ninth helped lift Samford (8-23, 2-7 SoCon) softball over Elon (17-7, 6-3 SoCon) Sunday, 6-2, as the Bulldogs took their first conference series of the season. The game was played over three hours after the original start time due to poor field conditions caused by severe overnight storms. When teams commenced play, they did so at an alternate site, Burlington Springwood Park.

Shelby Scott started the game for Samford, pitching 4.0 innings before Misha Aldridge (5-11) entered in relief in the bottom of the fifth, allowing the tying run to score but ultimately holding the Phoenix offense, pitching 5.0 innings to earn the win. Julianne Surane led the team at the plate, going 2-4 with two RBI, with Abby Adams scoring a pair as well. Erin O'Shea (10-4) took the loss for Elon, with her and Carleigh Nester earning a pair of hits each.

With two runners in scoring position and two out in the top of the third, Adams laced an opposite-field double to right center, bringing home both runners to give the Bulldogs the early 2-0 lead. The Phoenix cut Samford's lead in half in the bottom of the fourth, as Danielle Lafferty hit a solo home run to make the score 2-1.

With the one-run lead heading into the bottom of the fifth, Aldridge came in relief for Scott, as she ended the day with 4.0 innings pitched and only one earned run on four hits. Aldridge kept the Phoenix scoreless in the fifth but with one out in the top of the sixth, they tied the game up at 2-2 with a groundout to the right side that scored the runner from third.

The teams ended seven innings with the score tied, forcing extra innings. Both teams were scoreless in the eighth but Samford put up four runs in the ninth to pull ahead 6-2. Arica Dykes led things off when, with two runners in scoring position and two outs, she beat out an infield single to the shortstop, earning the RBI single to put Samford up 3-2. Julianne Surane followed that with a clutch double to shallow right field, scoring two more to advance the Bulldogs' lead to 5-2. Surane moved over to third on a wild pitch and an error by the shortstop off a Madison Dickey hit scored Surane, making it 6-2 Bulldogs.

Samford returns home for a mid-week double header on Tuesday, March 27 at 5 p.m. as they welcome the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.